Envelope strip



Nov. 28, 1967 R. A. WERBY 3,355,090

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RICHARD A. WE RBY BY ww gg United States Patent '0 3,355,090 ENVELOPE STRIP Richard A. Werby, 18 Alfred Road, Framingham, Mass. 01701 Filed Dec. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 512,125 1 Claim. (Cl. 229--69) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An envelope strip made from a two-ply backing sheet of which one is coated with an adhesive and the other is a release liner, and a top envelope sheet having a laterally projecting uncoated flap that may be folded inwardly, concealed and secured beneath the adhesive face of the rear ply of the unitary envelope when the latter is attached to a package or the like.

This invention comprises a new and improved envelope strip adapted for feeding through a business machine for printing or otherwise processing successive envelopes.

The strip of my invention is characterized by an underlying backing web having two distinct functions. In the first place it serves as a conveyor or carrier band upon which envelope components are assembled and transported to or through the business machine, and in the second place it supplies the material for the rear component sheet of the envelope when the latter is severed from the web.

It is very desirable to provide a continuous assembly of envelopes that are to be addressed or otherwise acted upon by business machines and to supply an envelope that can be attached to the outside of mailing or shipping containers for holding documents such as packing lists, invoices, inspection vouchers and the like. The envelope strip thus performs dual functions which result in substantial saving in time and material. The face of the envelope may be printed as a shipping label by hand, typewriter or marking device. The unitary envelope can then be applied very conveniently to any type of shipping or mailing container.

The envelope may be made from heat scalable adhesives and thus made waterproof. It may also be provided with an end flap suitable for folding over and sealed. The top sheet of the envelopes may be applied to an underlying backing web in continuous web formation partially printed or as separate leaves and folded or coiled with the underlying web or in fan-folded block formation. The back side of the web-formed envelope is completely pressure-sensitive and formed as an integral part of the envelope. The adhesive is covered with a release sheet that can be removed easily when the unitary envelope is to be applied to a shipping container. The complete envelope may be formed in one operation at high speed from two webs on standard roll fed letterpress, flexographic or olfset equipment. A wide variety of sizes is available by changing the in-feed on the presses or the printing and die-cutting step. A wide variety of materials of paper foil or plastic may be employed to accommodate various conditions. Accurate positioning of the envelopes in relation to themselves or to punched holes in the carrier ply facilitates accurate printing at high speed. The envelopes are laminated, heat-sealed,

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printed and die cut progressively or simultaneously in successive operations at high speed.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the steps of the process,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the resulting unitary envelope, and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

As suggested in FIG. 1 the underlying back web 10 comprises a paper ply coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive and protected by a coextensive cover ply of release paper. The ply 10 is led into registration with a ply 11 upon which may then be printed a series of unitary envelope top sheets 12 each merging at its right hand end into an uncoated flap 13.

The superposed plies 10 and 11 are passed between pressure rollers 14 and advanced to a sealing station comprising a platen 16 and a heated U-shaped sealing die 15 which is arranged to engage the superposed plies and seal the ply 11 to the inner face of the underlying web 10 in areas defining an envelope enclosure, that is to say, in strips along both edges of the envelope and across its inner end. The sealing die may be any shape desired for custom envelopes.

The sealed webs are now advanced to a shearing station comprising a cutting block 19 and a blade 18 which is reciprocated to sever the endmost unitary envelope from the strip.

In FIG. 2 it is noted that the address of the sender and receiver of the shipment has been printed upon the envelope and this of course may be done at any time while the composite web is passing between the pressure rolls 14 and the die cutting station. The unitary envelope is ready for attachment to the shipping package upon removal of the release of paper as suggested in FIG. 3 and at this time the uncoated flap 13 may be folded under the open end of the envelope and sealed by the pressure-sensitive coating which is thus exposed.

It is within the scope of the invention to supply the web 10 with a water soluble adhesive coating rather than one of pressure-sensitive cement, or to apply any type of adhesive to the web at any intermediate stage of the process.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A continuous envelope strip adapted for feeding through a business machine for treatment of successive envelopes thereon, and comprising a continuous two-ply backing web of which one ply is provided with a coating of adhesive and the other is present as a coextensive release liner, and a series of rectangular envelope top sheets progressively arranged and each adhesively sealed to the uncoated face of the base web ply in areas defining an envelope enclosure, the strip being thus constructed for die cutting into a series of unitary envelopes each protected by a removable release liner covering its rear surface and including in its permanent structure a portion of the said base ply, each top sheet having a laterally projecting uncoated flap adapted to be folded inwardly, con- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hopkins 22972 Herrick 129-20 Kneifel et a1 22974 X 2/1959 Warnow 12920 X 3/1962 Rowley 40158 7/1964 Schultz 22969 5/1966 Timms 22974 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1957 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

Detrie et a1 206-56 X 10 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Examiner. 

